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A Toronto police officer parked in the bike lane to get Italian takeout

Unless the order was an an emergency, this is non bene

Toronto police officer parked in the bike lane Photo by: David Shellnutt
January 22, 2024
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Sugo makes a helluva rigatoni bolognese with whipped ricotta, but that’s still no reason to park in the bike lanes beside the Toronto restaurant.
David Shellnutt, a.k.a The Bike Lawyer posted a video on Saturday X of a Toronto police cruiser parked in the bike lane beside Sugo, an Italian restaurant. “Last night, Toronto Police parked in the Bloor bike lane to grab their Sugo order. Now I know they make a mean marinara, but this doesn’t qualify as being engaged in responding to an emergency,” his caption read. “These actions speak volumes & demonstrate cyclist safety is an afterthought at best.”

Pasta ain’t an emergency, no matter how hungry you are

Listen, I watch more cooking shows than is legal, and Italian food is molto delizioso, but this is pretty bad. To make it even more ridiculous, the resto has a sign that specifically asks patrons to not park their bikes in the bike lane. (Side note: want a pro tip for your Ragu’ alla bolognese? A pinch of nutmeg toward the end of cooking. Just a tiny, tiny bit. Trust me, will level up your sauce, but don’t tell any Italians or the comments section will be bonkers. “ThAt’S NoT AuthEnTic.”)

A Toronto cop parked in a bike lane just metres from where Kartik Saini was killed by a motorist

When bike lanes are blocked, it creates a risky and dangerous situation for cyclists. Especially given that this was Saturday night, when cars and taxis are all over the place and it can be a bit chaotic.

Forcing cyclists onto the road means that the limited protection they have–this bike lane is only painted in this distance–is erased. So when the cop in question hogged the space for cyclists, it meant riders were put in a sketchy position.

Shellnutt wasn’t the person filming, it turns out. When someone asked if he spoke to them, he clarified that someone else had sent it to him. They weren’t comfortable confronting the authorities.

Check out the poliziotto in the corsie ciclabili below.